Method and equipment for relax setting

ABSTRACT

A METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING AND CREPING, WHEREIN FABRIC IS TREATED WITHIN A ROTATING DRUM WHICH IS HEATED BY DRY HOT WIND OR STEAM, AND THE FABRIC THUS TREATED IS FREE FROM SUCH DEFECTS AS CREASING, UNLEVEL CREPING, ETC., THAT ARE USUALLY EXPERIENCED WITH THE TREATMENT BY THE WASHER WHICH USES HOT WATER.

Jan. 5, 1971 Kwosm- OTAKA 3,552,032

METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING Filed May 14, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet1 Jan. 1971 QKIYO ISHI OTAKA 3,552,032

METHOD :AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING Filed May 14. 1968 3 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam 1971 Q IYKIIQYOSHI OTAKA 3,

Filed May 14, 1968 METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING 5 Sheets-Sheet5 Jan. 5, 1971 Kwosm OTAKA 3,552,032

METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING Filed May 14, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet4 Filed May 14', 1968 1971 KIYOSHI OTAKA 3,552,032

' METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3,552,032METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR RELAX SETTING Kiyoshi Otaka, 187 GyogazukaIkenoue, Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Filed May 14, 1968, Ser. No.729,070 Claims priority, application Japan, May 18, 1967, 42/ 31,609Int. Cl. F26b 3/00 US. Cl. 34-9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amethod and equipment for relax setting and creping, wherein fabric istreated within a rotating drum which is heated by dry hot wind or steam,and the fabric thus treated is free from such defects as creasing,unlevel creping, etc., that are usually experienced with the treatmentby the washer which uses hot water.

This invention relates to an improvement in the method for relax settingand has for an object to provide a novel method of relax setting and adevice of a new construction necessary for carrying out such method. Therecent tendency is that tricot, raschel and other fabrics made ofsynthetic hard-twisted yarn or textured yarn are increasing rapidly.These fabrics are generally given a beating treatment in hot water sothat they may be relaxed or in some cases creped, thereby displayingtheir own elasticity, solid feeling, bulkiness, soft feeling, etc. Thesecreping processes are usually done by using the washer but the followingdisadvantages are experienced with the treatment by the washer, i.e.,(l) inefficiency due to the batch system, (2) difficulty of controllingthe processing conditions and (3) a high incidence of troubles, such ascreasing, wrinkling, uneven creping, etc.

The present invention has for an object to provide a novel method forrelax setting which is free from such disadvantages as mentioned aboveand a relax setting apparatus of a new construction necessary forcarrying out such a novel method. According to the present invention, aplate having many perforations is shaped into a cylindrical form, inwhich a drum having several ledges protruding axially is installed. Bytreating fabrics in this drum which is being heated and turned, acomplete relaxing effect and a creping effect can be obtainedefficiently and under perfect control, without such troubles ascreasing, wrinkling, unlevel creping, etc., as usually experienced withthe washer or other relaxing machines.

The nature and further advantages of the present invention will be knownmore clearly from the following descriptions made with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view in vertical section of the basic construction ofthe invention,

FIG. 2 is a front view, in vertical section, of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side view, in vertical section, of an embodiment which isdifferent from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is a front view of a power transmission apparatus in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 shows a device to be used for the embodiment No. 3 in thedescription.

Numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical body lined with a heatinsulating layer4. Arranged in this body are stays 1a, 1a so as to make the body in goodshape. Numeral 2 denotes a drum supported by a plurality of receivingroll 5b and pressing roll 5a within the body. This drum has manyperforations, each of about 8 mm. in diameter, 2a, 2a all over itssurface and also has therein six to eight stainless steel ledges (10-15cm. in height) provided protrudingly at regular intervals in parallelwith the axial direction or with a proper gradient. Steam or hot air issupplied into this drum 2 or, in some cases, it may be so designed as tosupply heat-source, such as hot air, steam, etc., into the gap betweenthe outer surface of the drum 2 and the body 1. The body 1 is providedwith a peep-window for inspecting the inside. This peep-window has acover 6a so that the inside can be inspected as the occasion demands.Connected with the body is an exhaust cylinder 7, which carries dampers9 therein. Connected with the exhaust cylinder 7 and outside the dampersis an exhaust fan 8, which, together with dampers, regulates exhausting.As indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1, introduced in the gap betweenthe drum 2 and the body 1 is a tube 10 which supplies steam or hot airinto the machine. This tube carries many nozzles 11, 11 within themachine and through the medium of these nozzles the drum 2 is heated. Asindicated by a chain line in FIG. 1, this tube 10 can be introduced intothe drum 2 to discharge steam through its nozzles into the drum.Provided at the front portion of the drum 2 is a hopper in which fabricL is fed and provided at the end portion of the machine is an outlet 13from which treated fabric is sent out.

FIGS. 3-5 show respectively a different embodiment from that shown byFIGS. 1 and 2. The different points in construction from FIGS. 1 and 2are that the duct 15 is provided at the front portion and at the rearportion of the drum 2, the supplying apparatus which supplies hot air,steam, etc., to the duct is installed and the fabric feeding device 12aof different construction is added. The drum which is supported byreceiving rolls 5b, 5b and pressing rolls 5a, 5a is driven by anelectric motor M through the intermediate chain wheels Ma and Mb,cogwheel 16 and cogwheel 17 secured to the drum 2.

While heating the inside of the drum 2 by dry hot air or saturatedvapor, rotate the inside of the drum at 4060 r.p.m. in the right and thereverse directions alternately, for about 10 seconds in each direction.When material fabric is put in this drum 2, the fabric is beatenincessantly against the inside wall of the drum due to the movement ofthe ledges caused by the revolution of the drum and the gravity of thefabric itself. Such mechanical movement, coupled with the heatingtreatment by dry hot air or steam heating, imparts satisfactory relaxingeffect and heat setting effect to the fabric. As compared with thewasher or the like, since the present invention uses no hot water, thefabric under treatment has no added weight to the weight of itself andaccordingly beating force is not so strong as in the case of the washer.Moreover, since the r.p.m. of the drum is relatively high, the fabricunder treatment is uniformly rubbed and beaten, with the result that itis free from creasing, wrinkling, and unlevel creping.

If the drum is made about 10 meters in length and the axis of rotationof the drum is slanted, or, as indicated by the drawing, if thecomponent force of centrifugal force is utilized by making the diameterof the outlet larger than that of the inlet of the drum, it is possibleto make the fabric under treatment move slowly in the drum andaccordingly it is made possible to carry out relax setting continually.In this case by making the fabric stay (idle) at the outlet and at theinlet of the drum, it is possible to check the twisting of the fabricdue to the revolution within the drum extending to that part of thefabric before and after treatment.

EMBODIMENT NO. 1

Prepare a cylindrical drum 2 made of 1 mm. thick stainless steel, withmany perforations of 8 mm. in diameter (perforations rate-50%), an inletof 90 cm. in diameter, an outlet of 100 cm. in diameter, and 1,000 cm.in length. Provided in the cylindrical drum are eight ledges 3 ofstainless steel at regular intervals, each 13 cm. in height. The axis ofrotation of the drum is positioned horizontally and the above-mentionedledges are arranged in parallel with or across the axial direction. Thedrum is kept turning at the speed of 42 rpm. in the right and thereverse directions alternately, for seconds in each direction, and theinside of the drum is kept at the temperature of 100 C. If tricot halffabric knitted at 28 gauges, c.p.i. 44 and w.p.i. 28, with polyesterfilament ZO-denier as back and polyester wooly textured yarn 75-denieras front, is treated continually in the drum, the fabric will reach theoutlet automatically in about minutes. The fabric thus treated, ascompared with that before treating, has shrunk about in a widthdirection and about 25% in a lengthwise direction, and has satisfactorybulkiness, elasticity, solid feeling, soft feeling, etc. as tricotfabric woven with wooly textured yarn.

The fabric treated in the above way is free from creasing, wrinkling andunlevel creping. Moreover, at the subsequent processes, such asscouring, dyeing and finishing, it is almost free from the reduction ofbulkiness, stretching due to tension and creasing of rope-shape. Inother words, the above method will produce a perfect relax settingeffect.

EMBODIMENT NO. 2

While turning the same machine as used in embodiment No. 1 at 48 rpm. inthe right and the reverse directions alternately, for 10 seconds in eachdirection, keep the inside of the drum at temperature of 100 C. bysaturating superheated steam, paying attention to drain.

If the fabric of amunzen construction with polyester filament(75-denier, twist number 1,600 T/M) used as warp and polyester woolytextured yarn 75-denier and polyester filament 75-denier (twist number300 T/M) used as fillings-492 warps/3.79 cm. and 194 fillings/ 3.79cm.-is put in the inlet of the drum under the abovementioned condition,the fabric will reach the outlet in 20 minutes. The fabic thus teated,in comparison with the fabric before treating, has shrunk 50% in a widthdirection and 25% in a lengthwise direction, with the result that idealcreping effect can be obtained.

Besides the above-mentioned embodiment, circularknitted fabric,weft-knitted fabric (using textured yarn), elastic fabric or the likecan be given similar relaxing and creping by this method. In cases wherethe fabric for treatment has been woven using hard sizing agent, it mustbe desized before treating. In this case, if the drum is heated bysupplying dry hot air in larger quantities to treat the desized fabricin the drum, as well as for drying, the desired relaxing effect can wellbe obtained.

EMBODIMENT NO. 3

In this embodiment, a device shown in FIG. 6 is used. This device is acombination of relax setters A and B shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or in FIGS.3, 4 and 5, each comprising a single drum. A washing apparatus C isprovided in front of the front relax setter A and a scutcher 18 whichputs treated fabric in order is provided at the back of the rear relaxsetter B. The fabric L which was cleansed in the Washing apparatus C isgiven washing 4 and relaxing by hot water at A supplied via pipe P froma suitable source S, FIG. 6. Then, it is given finishing relaxing bysteam at B and is finally taken out by the scutcher 18 and is folded.

Under this invention, it is possible to raise the relaxing effect byusing hot water together as indicated by embodiment N0. 3 (for example,hot water is added to the W position in FIG. 1).

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that according to thepresent invention, excellent relaxing and other effects as indicated bythe above-mentioned embodiments can be obtained.

Having thus described the nature of the present invention, what I claimis:

1. A method of relax setting of fabrics comprising introducing a lengthof fabric into one end of a rotary treatment zone, supplying a heatingmedium selected from the group consisting of hot air and steam to theinterior of said zone, alternately rotating such zone in oppositedirections, beating such fabric length within such zone in the presenceof such heating medium and removing such length of fabric from theopposite end of such zone.

2. A method of relax setting of fabrics as claimed in claim 1 andfurther including subjecting such fabric length to a pre-treatment justprior to introducing the same into said rotary treatment zone by feedingthe same into one end of another and longitudinally aligned rotarytreatment zone, supplying hot water to the interior of such anothertreatment zone, alternately rotating such another rotary treatment zone,beating that portion of the fabric length within such another rotarytreatment zone while in the presence of such hot water, withdrawing suchfabric length from the other end of such another treatment zone andintroducing the same into said first mentioned rotary treatment zone.

3. A method of relax setting of fabrics in a rotary perforated drumhaving an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end and alsohaving internal, circumferentially spaced, inwardly projecting vanesextending substantially throughout the length of said drum, comprisingintroducing one end of a fabric length into the inlet end of such drum,removing such fabric length from the outlet of such drum, supplying aheating medium selected from the group consisting of hot air and steamto the interior of such drum, and alternately rotating such drum inopposite directions so as to subject the fabric while in the interior ofsuch drum to the action of such heating medium and to beat the fabricagainst the interior of such drum due to the movement of the vanescaused by the rotation of the drum and the force of gravity acting onthe fabric while it is inside the drum.

4. Apparatus for relax setting of fabrics comprising a cylindricalheat-insulating casing means, a drum within said casing means, said drumincluding side wall means and opposite end wall means, means within saidcasing means and operably related with said side wall means forrotatably supporting said drum, said side wall means having perforationstherein, means defining a fabric inlet operably associated with one endwall means, means defining a fabric outlet operably associated with theopposite end wall means, a plurality of circumferentially spaced,inwardly projecting vanes mounted on the inner surface of said side wallmeans and extending substantially throughout the length of said sidewall means, means operatively associated with said fabric inlet forintroducing a length of fabric into the interior of said drum, saidlength of fabric being removed from the fabric outlet, means forsupplying a flowable heating medium to the interior of said drum,heating medium outlet means operably associated with said casing means,and mear for rotating said drum.

5. Apparatus for the relax setting of fabrics as claimed in claim 4 anda second casing means arranged adjacent to and in alignment with saidfirst casing means, a second drum within said second casing means, meanswithin said second casing means for rotatably supporting said seconddr-um, said second drum including side and opposite end wall means, afabric inlet on one end wall means, a fabric outlet on the other endwall means, said last mentioned fabric outlet being aligned with thefabric inlet of said first mentioned drum, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced inwardly projecting vanes arranged on the innersurface of said side wall means of said second drum and extendingsubstantially throughout the length of said side wall means of saidsecond drum, means operatively asso- 10 ciated with the fabric inlet ofsaid second drum for feeding a fabric length into the interior of saidsecond drum, said fabric length passing through the fabric outlet ofsaid second drum and into the fabric inlet of said first drum,

and means for supplying hot water to the interior of said second drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,452,134 10/1948 Lowe 34-1272,735,226 2/1956 Franks et al. 34-129 2,898,099 8/1959 De Coriolis 26334JOHN J. CAMBY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 34127

